


Running soft through the night

by estranged_and_wayward



Series: Keep me where the light is [6]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Drinking, Fluff and Angst, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Robb Stark is a Gift, now and always, psudo-marriage proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:21:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22231717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/estranged_and_wayward/pseuds/estranged_and_wayward
Summary: Theon only hopes that the winter won't turn Robb cold.
Relationships: Theon Greyjoy/Robb Stark
Series: Keep me where the light is [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1587631
Comments: 2
Kudos: 31





	Running soft through the night

**Author's Note:**

> not all the other fics in this series will be this sad I swear.

Maybe this was the winter Lord Eddard had been warning of. Theon could see it when he caught Robb's eyes. He looked half a boy again as he made his way back through the camp. The men made way for their leader, a few of them offering condolences as he passed. He kept his head held high and wouldn't let his eyes fall until he entered his tent. 

Theon watched him disappear from the crowd of soldiers. He looked so tired.  _ So very tired _ . All the boy had wanted was to get his father back. And now he was gone forever. The Lannisters had taken his head. Robb would never see his father again. Nobody ever would. It seemed odd that a man like Ned Stark could be dead. That he could just be gone. The world felt a little more empty now, and much colder. 

He already knew there was nothing he could ever say or do to quell the pain Robb was going through. Nothing. There would always be a hole in his heart that would never be filled, and Theon knew about having a hole in your heart. He knew there was no way to fill it. It was like a baby tooth that had been knocked out. It hurt like hell, and you cried, and then you're tongue kept pressing against the gap, reminding you that your mouth was a little more empty, except baby teeth always grew back. The hole in Theon's heart never had. And now there was a hole in Robb. 

Robb, who deserved the world and more. Who he would have done anything for was in the worst pain. 

When Theon entered the tent Robb was sitting over his map table, his head in his hands. His head shot aside as he frantically tried to wipe away the tears in his eyes. 

"Yes, what is it?" He asked, his voice straining to not break. 

Theon's heart broke "Its just me," he said. He made his way around the table and leaned against it. "I wanted to see how you were holding up" 

Robb still had tears clinging to his face "I don't know" he admitted "I just want to go home" then he broke, his face crinkling as he tried to contain his sobs. 

Theon bit his lip. In truth, he missed Lord Stark too, and seeing Robb like this put a knife through his heart; but he was also never one skilled at bringing comfort. Still, stood and placed his hands on Robb's shoulders. "I know," he said "I know" 

Robb let out a sob and Theon pulled him to stand before leading him to the bed. He laid beside him, tangling their legs together and stroking his hair. "it hurts!" He cried, unable to contain himself. He laid his head against Theon's chest. 

Theon closed his eyes tight in an attempt to stifle his own tears, holding the boy close. Make no mistake, Robb was a boy now. He'd been playing the role of a man, of a lord for so long but now it was time to be a boy. 

"I know" Theon whispered. 

When darkness came and sleep seemed to overtake the camp, the two of them rode out into the woods. It had been so long since they'd had one of their talks, and they both needed one desperately. They didn't go far, just enough so that they couldn't be heard. They tied down the horses and lit a small fire. Leaned again a mighty oak tree, Theon poured them both a cup of wine.

Robb thanked him and scratched Greywind behind the ear. "It is very sweet," he said of the wine as he took a sip.

"Well, I figured you might have grown tired of that sour piss you hate so much. So I thought this would be nice." Robb leaned against his shoulder.

"I do hate sour wine" Robb admitted "this is much nicer. Very sweet though."

Theon nodded "acquired taste," he said simply. Whenever they talked like this, he always spoke softer than normal and felt the depth of his words despite how easily they seemed to fall off his tongue. Tonight, however, he was careful, he knew Robb needed this more than he did. 

"I suppose" Robb replied, "a bit of a shit acquired taste though don't you think?" 

Theon put his arm around Robb "Oh for sure" he felt Robb relax against him. "There's nowhere I'd rather be less than drinking sour wine with the lords."

"Me neither" Robb agreed, taking a long sip from his cup. "As long as that bloody king's not there I'm happy," he said, acid on his tongue.

"That blonde arsehole of a king will pay for what he's done," Theon said. He looked into the fire and tried to imagine Joffrey without his head.

"I swear if he lays a hand on my sister I'll-" he was nearly shaking.

"We won't give him a chance to," Theon told him "we'll bring Sansa and Arya home" he promised. He downed half his cup. 

"And then we will kill them all" Robb said.

"Every last one of them" 

After a long silence, the conversation changed to that of Lord Eddard, and Catelyn, and Jon, and Sansa, of Arya, Bran, and Rickon. They spoke of Winterfell and the battle. Of the Sea and the Iron Islands. Of the Northern Lords and Riverrun. Theon even shared a rare tale of his mother, which seemed to lift Robb's spirits if only a little. 

They drank until half the wine was gone before Robb laid his head against Theon's shoulder again. He was trembling. "Theon," he said in a voice like wet parchment "hold me" his eyes were filling with tears, overflowing oceans. 

"Come 'ere" Theon whispered, pulling the boy into his lap and taking him in his arms. Robb buried his face in Theon chest, gripping tightly at the fabric of his tunic. He let out stuttered breathes, as if trying to pull himself together. Then came the first sob, and after that, they just didn't stop. The dam broke and out spilled the sea onto Theon's shirt. He sobbed and sobbed until he thought he'd run himself dry. Until the Kraken on the front of his tunic was drowning. But then, after a few minutes of sitting in the quiet while Theon stroked his hair, the tears came back. And Theon sat there with his back against the tree and the Lord of Winterfell in his arms, stroking his hair and trying to thumb away the tears until he finally cried himself to sleep. 

Theon stayed awake late into the night, stroking the sleeping Lord's hair and idly rubbing his back. He was sure Robb would appreciate it, and it would be better if he woke up to that rather than just falling right back into the tears when he rose. Theon sighed deeply, he never would have done this for anyone else ever. He would have never let someone cry themself to sleep on top of him. He would have never tenderly stroked their hair or caressed their cheeks. That just wasn't something he did. He fucked whores and tavern wenches, but Robb wasn't some wench sucking his cock for coppers. He laid with Theon because he'd wanted to. He'd brought Theon into his own bed and let him touch him in ways no one else ever would. And Theon let him do the same. He’d allowed Robb to take him like he was some salt wife. Then afterward Robb had held him all through the night. 

And Theon had loved every moment of it. Just as he loved every moment he spent with Robb. Gods, how he loved everything about Robb; the red of his hair and the blue of his eyes. His hands, which seemed to somehow always be warm. How they caressed him and sent shivers down his spine. He loved the softness of his lips and the sound of his laugh. The smile that made him catch his breath. The feeling of his heart beating. Sometimes, though he would never admit it Theon would lie his head against the lord’s chest just to listen to the sound of it. 

He reached down and brushed a tangle of hair from Robb’s tearstained cheek, tucking it behind his ear. He looked so tired, completely restless even as he slept. Theon hoped that someday soon the two of them would return to Winterfell, hand in hand. He could act as Robb’s second hand and they would spend their nights in a great feather bed all their own. But that would mean never returning home to the Iron Islands, giving up his claim to the Seastone chair and never seeing the sea again. But Robb would surly have let him visit, maybe he could have arranged with his father to mend any ailments between the two kingdoms. Maybe Robb could have even gone with him and put faces to the names in his stories.

Off in the distance somewhere he heard Grey Wind howling. It was a cry out into the night, just as it had been in Winterfell; but somehow it didn’t wake Robb, he stayed perfectly still. There was another wail of pain as if even the direwolves too cried for Lord Stark. 

Now the new Lord Stark was asleep in Theon’s arms. Robb Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North. 

_ Oh, my sweet, sweet Robb. may the winter air never turn him cold.  _ He laid a kiss upon the top of his head and another on his cheek. 

He’d fallen so hard for him, hopefully, one day he would have the courage to tell him. 

When Theon woke the next morning the sun was rising and the fire had gone black with ash. Robb was still sound asleep beside him, or rather, half on top of him. He must have cried during the night because there were still tears clinging to the edges of his face. Theon rubbed them away with his thumb and Robb began to stir.

Despite how long he'd slept, he still looked tired. It was like he'd aged 10 years in a day. Theon kissed his forehead lightly "Hey" he said tenderly "Good morning" 

Robb tried to rub some of the sleep from his eyes "Good morning" he half grumbled.

Theon ran a hand through Robb's hair "We should probably get back to the camp before the men start waking up." 

"Yeah, I know." Robb sighed before lying back against Theon's chest "But can we just have a minute?" 

Theon kissed his forehead again "oh course" there was no place he'd rather be than here. The nights they spent together were always mind-blowing, but was nothing that could compare to the morning. There was something about waking up beside Robb that Theon could never grow tired of. It made him feel so alive, so cared for. He didn't know how he could have ever gone without it.

They took quite a long moment today because they both knew it would be dead and gone the second it was over. But no eternity can last forever and they eventually fell to their feet. 

Brushing off and dirt or grass that had managed to stick to them, they slowly began to gather their things. 

"Where's the beast?" Theon asked as he tied the leftover wine to his saddlebag. 

"He's probably still out hunting," Robb replied. He was still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. 

"Theon?" Robb asked, causing him to turn around. Robb looked pale and tired. 

"What is it?" 

Robb hesitated for a moment "Will you be leaving soon?" 

The words seemed to hurt and Theon looked at him in confusion. "Why would I be leaving?" 

"Because you were my father's ward," he said and swallowed hard "but you're not anymore. And, um, you can go home now if you'd like." 

Theon must have looked at him like he was a God. "What?" He could hardly understand what Robb was saying. 

"Your loyalty is to house Greyjoy, I just thought you might want to go back." Robb was doing the hardest thing he could have ever done. "I won't make you stay any longer."

Theon came so close he could see every tiny, faded freckle on Robb's face. He wanted to go home more than he wanted anything. He wanted to smell the salt and feel the ocean breeze on his skin. But Robb needed him more than he wanted to go home. "No," he said. "I want to stay with you for now." 

Robb looked baffled "Why?" He asked "I thought all you wanted was to go home. That's all I want now." 

"I do Robb, more than anything. But I also want to be by your side." He caressed Robb's cheek with his thumb. 

"Why?" Was all Robb could say.

Theon took a knee “Because I swear loyalty to you” he swallowed hand, looking up into the wolf’s eyes “I swear loyalty to House Stark; and to you, Robb Stark. I swear loyalty to the Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North. Under the old God’s and the new, and the drowned God, I swear that my sword is yours, in victory and defeat, from this day until my last day.” he took Robb’s hand, still cold from the night and kissed the back of it. “I want to be yours, but only if you will be mine, now and always?” 

Robb looked down at him as if he was divine, his eyes blazing like the oceans had been set aflame. “Now and always” he moved his hand to caress Theon’s face, looking deep into his eyes “I will be yours, and you will be mine. From this day until my last day” his voice nearly broke but remained strong. There was something on the tip of Theon’s tongue, something he wanted to say as Robb stared down at him. It was only three little words but he couldn’t say it. He couldn’t bring himself to. His eyes nearly fell to the ground before Robb lifted his chin “Rise Theon Greyjoy” 

Theon obeyed, pulling Robb into a kiss once he was on his feet. He could feel the lord trembling as they rested their foreheads together. It would have only taken three little words, then Robb would have known. But no matter the ache in his heart nor in his cock, he just couldn’t say it. So instead, as he ran a hand across Robb’s cheek he said “Now and always” 

Robb leaned into the touch, kissing the palm of Theon’s hand, echoing “Now and always” And Theon smiled at him like he was looking at the moon, like he was the only light in a pitch-black night sky. Robb closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around him. For a moment Theon was in shock, he couldn’t even remember the last time someone had hugged him, but he leaned in and allowed himself to be held. He felt like he did when Robb first fucked him, how small and vulnerable he’d been while Robb was inside him. And how he’d felt the next morning when he’d woken up in in the lordling’s bed. In a strange way, it was sort of like that. Robb was so strong but his touch was so gentle.

After Robb pulled away they slowly made their way back to the camp. Well, slow until Theon tugged at his reins and yelled: "Race ya!" And oh course, because Robb could never turn down a challenge he picked up his speed so that the two of them made their way, laughing and shouting back to camp. So many things were different now, and they would never be how they once were, but there were small things every now and again that brought Theon home. 


End file.
